Beer-cooler.



'F.G.ENGEL.

I BEER COOLER. APPLIOATION FILED APR. '29, 1907.

Patented Dec.'15, 1908 MMJWMM 44W zwds am UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK G. ENGEL, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE ECONOMY COOLERCOMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BEER-COOLER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK G. ENGEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Beer-Coolers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a cooler for beer and other liquids, and moreparticularly to that class of coolers comprising tubes which aresubmerged in ice water and through which the liquid to be cooled passes.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction of the coolerwith a view of obtaining a large refrigerating area within acomparatively small compass and effecting a uniform distribution of theliquid throughout the refrigerating tubes, so as to utilize their fullcooling capacity.

In th accompanying drawing: Figure l is a front elevation of theimproved cooler, a portion of the casing being broken away to expose thecooling tubes. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of one of thetubes and adjacent parts of the casing, the plane of the section beingin line 2-2, Fig. 3. Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sections, on an en largedscale, in the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a planview of one of the reinforcing collars.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views.

A is the casing of ordinary construction containing the usual water andice chamber B. In this chamber the upright refrigerat ing tubes O arearranged, which extend from the bottom nearly to the top of the chamber,so that the greater portion of the same is immersed in the ice-water, ina manner common to this class of coolers.

D indicates the customary delivery faucets which are connected with theupper ends of the respective refrigerating tubes by pipes e. In thepreferred construction shown in the drawing, each tube is closed at itsupper end by a cap or head F having a central discharge nipple f towhich the pipe 6 is joined by an ordinary union.

The tubes C are preferably constructed of copper or other highlyconductive material, and in order to increase their refrigerating areathey are corrugated lengthwise, the same being preferably star-shaped incross section for this purpose, as shown. Each Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed April 29, 1907.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

Serial No. 370,966.

tube is closed at its lower end by a flanged cap or base plate G restingupon the bottom of the chamber B and having a central depending inletnipple g which passes through said bottom and to which is at tached theusual pipe or hose (not shown) leading from the barrel or other vesselto the cooler. To this nipple, which is screw threaded, is applied aclamping nut h which bears against the bottom of the casing A.

I is a hollow distributing head arranged at the upper end of the nippleg and preferably formed in one piece with the same and the base plate G,as shown. This head is closed at its upper end and provided in its sideswith apertures '11 by which said nipple communicates with the lowerportion of the tube. One of these apertures is preferably arrangeddirectly opposite each of the hollow V-shaped wings or'ribs of the tube,as shown in Fig. 4, so that the incoming liquid is distributed radiallyin all directions by the head I and directed into the various wings ofthe tube. By this construction, the liquid is brought into contact withall sides of the tube throughout the length of the same and the entirerefrigerating surface of the tube is effectually utilized.

In order to stiffen the refrigerating tubes and resist expansion ordistortion thereof, each of the same is preferably provided at suitableintervals with reinforcing bands or collars J. These collars may be ofcast iron. and their bores or openings are polygonal and closely followthe outline of the tubes, the collars shown in the drawing havingstar-shaped openings to fit the corresponding cross section of thetubes,-as best shown in Fig. 5. These collars may be soldered to thetubes or simply driven thereon.

The cooler shown in the drawing contains three refrigerating tubes, buta greater or less number may be employed according to the desiredcapacity of the apparatus.

I claim as my invention 1. In a liquid cooler, the combination of achamber adapted to contain ice water, a longitudinally corrugatedrefrigerating tube arranged therein and provided at one end with aninlet and at its opposite end with an outlet for the liquid to becooled, and a distributing head arranged in the inlet end of the tubeand provided in its side opposite each of the several longitudinalgrooves or channels of the tube With an aperture whereby the incomingliquid is delivered laterally into all of said grooves.

2. In a liquid cooler, the combination of a chamber adapted to containice-Water, a refrigerating tube of substantially starshapedcross-section arranged in said chamber and provided at one end With aninlet and at its opposite end with an outlet for the liquid to becooled, and reinforcing collars encircling the tube, substantially asset forth.

3. In a liquid cooler, the combination of a chamber adapted to containice-Water, a

refrigerating tube of substantially starshaped cross-section arranged insaid chamber and provided at one end With an inlet and at its oppositeend With an outlet for the liquid to be cooled, and reinforcing collarsencircling the tube and having bores or openings Which conform to theout-line of the tube, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 24th day of April, 1907.

FREDERICK G. ENGEL. 'Witnesses C. F GEYER, E. M. GRAHAM.

